Applicator for sealing packages



Aug. 18 1953 H. G. HOLTZ 2,649,072

APPLICATOR FOR SEALING PACKAGES Filed Jan. 27, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IS IN V EN TOR.

HARRY G. HOLTZ ATTORNEY Aug. 18, 1953 Filed Jan. 27, 1951 H. G; HOLTZ APPLICATOR FOR SEALING PACKAGES FIG.3

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HARRY G. HOLTZ sykg@ ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 18, 1953 APPLIGATOR. FOR SEALING PACKAGES Harry G. Holtz, Oak LaWn, 111., assignor to -Swift & Company, Chicago, 111., a corporationofillinois Application January 27, 19.51, Serial No.--208,210

Claims.

The present invention relates to a well=type applicator for use in applying glue or the'like to a given article.

In many instances, particularly in the making of packages or other containers, it is necessary to repetitively apply glue or the like to a portion of the package so that it will adhere to another partion thereof. While it would seem to 'be a simple matter to do this by taking a brush from a paste pot, dabbing the portion to be secured with paste and returning the brush to the paste pot, such operations are time consuming. Where the operations are only performed infrequently, the time involved is of little consequence, but where the operations are required regularly through the day, day after day, any reduction that can be made in the time required for the application of the adhesive can amount to a substantial saving.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an applicator which will present -a controlled quantity of adhesive at desired times and in a position to be deposited readily upon the area to be sealed.

In many such cases where goods are packaged in pasted containers, an individual places the goods in the container or forms the container about the goods. Often it is then necessary for that person to hold the container in closed condition about the goods while the package is sealed. If the package is of any size, this operation may occupy both hands of the individual. A feature of the present invention is that the applicator may be actuated to present the desired quantity of adhesive merely by pressing the area to be glued on a portion of the applicator. As a result of this pressure, paste is withdrawn from the supply reservoir and smeared across the desired area. No movement, other than said pressure motion, is required of the operator and that may be performed by the hands while they are occupied in holding the package closed. The

present invention performs the wiping motion necessary to produce the desired-adherence of the glue to the surface to be pasted.

Additional objects and advantages include:

A device which is readily formed from simple metal-working operations, is easily assembled and, thus, is low in first cost; a device which requires little or no maintenance; and a device which requires no skill to operate.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of an embodiment of the invention;

.2 Fig. 2 isaplan'v iew of the embodiment o'f'Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an elevation corresponding to Fig. '1, with the parts displaced as occurs during the-actuation of the applicator.

The applicator ofthis invention includes a liquid container "I 0, a dispensing arm generally 11, apressure plate generally I2, and actuating means 13 connecting the dispensing arm H and the pressure plate 1.2.

The liquid container I0 is in the form of a rectangular tank having four walls 15 and a bottom T6. The top of the tank is open, although in some embodiments it may be desirable to enclose a portion of the upper portion of the tank to slow the drying of the liquid material in the container ID. The bottom of the container ID is formed with a plurality .of feet I! to form a secure footing for tlie'tank and to permit the tank 'to be readily securedto a-s'uitable supporting surface.

The dispensing arm H is pivotally connected to container I J] by means'ofa pin l8 which projects through a U'-shaped portion IQ of arm I! as well as the Side walls l5 of container 10. To the bottomiof .the 'U-shaped portion I9 is secured a generally L-shapedextension 20, the outer surface of which forms an applicator face 2|.

'The pressure plate 12 is pivotally attached to container linby mea'nsof a pin 23 which passes through theside walls-24 of plate l2 and the side walls 1'5 of container I0. The face of plate l2 has an opening 25 formed therethrough, as best seen in Fig. .2, with the opening being wider in horizontal dimension than is face 2| of dispensing arm I I (seen inlFig..2.). The path of movement of opening 25 about pin 23 is generally normal to the path of movement o'fiface 21 about pin 18.

'. Th actuating'means I3 includes a pair of connecting rods J26 formed from a generally U- shap'edbar. The base 28 of the U forming connecting rods "26 passes through the upstanding U -shaped portion I9 of dispensing arm II. The two -ends of the U are bent outwardly and are seated in a pair of holes in side walls of pressure plate "I 2.

To control the amount of liquid on the face 2| of dispensing arm ll asthe arm is withdrawn from the liquid within container ID, a rubber wiper 29 contacts the face -2I above the surface (indicated by line 30) of the liquid in the container. The wiper is formed of a sheet of stiff but resilient rubber, one end of which is attached to the outer face of .one end 15 of container 10 as by means of a nut and bolt 31, with the other end bein'glooped-over the upper edge ofsaid end l5 under pin 23 and into contact with face 2|. Preferably, the rubber sheet has a natural curve and is bent over the edge of end IS in the reverse direction of its natural curve so that it turns into the surface 2! as it tends to seek its undeformed position.

The operation of the device can be seen from a comparison of Figs. 1 and 3. Assuming that it is desired to apply a liquid glue to the flap of a package so as to secure the flap to another portion of the package, the container I0 is filled with said glue up to approximately the depth indicated by line 36. The package which is to be sealed may be held in both hands with the fiap thereof across opening 25 in pressure plate 12.

A gentle forward pressure and movement on plate [2 causes connecting rods 26 to push backward upon the two levers formed by the upward U- shaped portions l9 of dispensing arm ll to pivot the dispensin arm about the horizontal axis of pin I8 in response to the pivotal movement of the pressure plate 12 about the horizontal axis of pin 23.

The rotation of dispensing arm H (counterclockwise in Fig. l) raises face 2 i. As the face 2| comes upwardly, wiper 29 removes the excess glue from the face to produce a thin, even coa ing of glue therealong. Dispensing arm H and pressure plate 12, which are pivoting in counterclockwise directions along their respective paths of movement, gradually approach each other and eventually intersect. When the two intersect, the curved face 2| of dispensing arm H projects into opening 25 of pressure plate It.

In Figs. 1 and 3 it will be noted that the distance between actuating means l3 and pin 23 of pressure plate 12 is substantially greater than the distance between said actuating means 13 and pin H? of dispensing arm I I as measured along the U-shaped portion IQ of the dispensing arm. As a result, the angular speed of movement of the dispensing arm H about pin it will be substantially greater than will be the angular speed of movement of pressure plate [2 about pin 23. From this it will be seen that as the two approach the point of intersection, the face 2| of dispensing arm II will be moved relatively rapidly across the line of movement of the opening 25 of plate 12 and the flap of the package to be sealed. When the two intersect, the final movement is a wiping action of the face 2| across the portion of the flap of the package exposed through opening 25. Such wiping action produces a smearing of the glue from the liquid container I0 across the flap of the package to be sealed to produce good adhesion between the glue and the flap.

As pressure is released from plate [2, the weight of the L-shaped extension 20 of dispensing arm I! lowers the face 2| back into the container ID to the position shown in Fig. 1. The weight and lever arm of the L-shaped extension 20 are sufi'icient to overcome the weight and lever arm of pressure plate [2 and to return all parts to the position shown in Fig. 1.

The foregoing description of a specific embodiment is for the purpose of complying with section 4888 of the revised statutes and should not be construed as imposing any unnecessary limitations upon the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An applicator including a liquid container, said container having an opening in the top thereof, a dispensing arm pivotally attached to said container, said arm being constructed and arranged to move along a path between a first position within said container to a second position externally of said container, a pressure plate externally of said container, said plate having an opening therethrough, said plate being movable from a first position to a second position at which the location of said opening substantially coincides with the second position of said arm, and actuating means connecting said plate and said dispensing arm to move said arm from said first to said second position in response to movement of said plate from said first to said second position whereby said arm is exposed through the opening in said plate, said actuating means including'a pair of levers interconnecting said late and said arm.

2. An applicator including a liquid container, said container having an opening in the top thereof, a dispensing arm pivotally attached to said container, said arm being constructed and arranged to move along a path between a first position within said container to a second position externally of said container, a pressure plate externally of said container, said plate being moveable in a direction generally normal to the path of movement of said arm, and actuating means connecting said plate and said arm to move said arm from said first to said second position in response to the movement of said plate from a first to a second position, said opening in said plate crossing said path as said arm moves to said second position to expose said arm therethrough.

3. An applicator including a liquid container, said container having an opening in the top thereof, a dispensing arm pivotally connected to said container along a generally horizontal axis, said arm having an applicator face spaced to one side of said axis, said arm being moveable from a first position at which said face is within the liquid in said container to a second position at which said face is above said liquid, a pressure plate pivotally connected to said container along an axis parallel to said first mentioned axis, said plate having an opening therethrough, said opening being of greater width than the corresponding dimension of said face, said plate, from a first position, being moveable about said second mentioned axis toward said first mentioned axis to a second position, said arm including a lever projecting to another side of said first mentioned axis from said one side to which said face is spaced, a connecting rod attached to said lever and to said plate to move said arm from said first to said second position in response to movement of said plate from said first to said second position, and a relatively fixed wiper to contact said face during the movement of the arm from said first to said second position.

4. An applicator including a liquid container, said container having an opening in the top thereof, a dispensing arm pivotally connected to said container along a generally horizontal axis, said arm having an applicator face spaced to one side of said axis, said arm being moveable from a first position at which said face is within the liquid in said container to a second position at which said face is above said liquid, a pressure plate pivotally connected to said container along an axis parallel to said first mentioned axis, said plate being moveable about said second mentioned axis from a first position at which it is at a greater distance from said first mentioned axis than is said face to a second position at which a portion of the plate is at a lesser distance from said first mentioned axis than is said face, said portion of the plate having an opening therethrough, said opening being of greater width than the corresponding dimension of said face, and a connecting rod attached to said arm at a side of said first mentioned axis and attached to said plate at a side of the second mentioned axis to move said arm from said first to said second position in response to movement of said plate from said first to said second position.

5. An applicator including a container adapted to hold a given amount of liquid, said container having an opening in the top thereof, a dispensing arm having an applicator face, said arm being pivotally attached to said container whereby said face may be moved along a given path about the axis of said pivotal attachment from a first position below the surface of said liquid to a second position above the surface of said liquid, said face being formed in a curve about said axis, a pressure plate having an opening therethrough, said plate being pivotally attached to said container for movement from a first position to a second position wherein the position of said opening in tersects the second position of said face, and actuating means connecting said plate and said arm to move each from the first to the second position in response to a movement of the other from the first to the second position, said actuating means being connected to said arm and to said plate such that the angular movement of the arm is greater than the angular movement of the pressure plate whereby the curved face will wipe across said opening as they each reach the point of intersection.

HARRY G. HOLTZ.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 143,798 Walden et a1 Oct. 21, 1873 713,493 Rehfuss et a1 Nov. 11, 1902 1,190,535 Fleming July 11, 1916 2,246,094 Glazebrook et a1. r June 17, 1941 2,350,694 Nicolas June '6, 1944 

